Sling Monitor 150 WiFi HDTV scores DISH Network partnership

Sling Media have updated their Sling Monitor prototype and reworked the 15.6-inch 720p HDTV for DISH Network. Set to launch as the Sling Monitor 150, the lightweight display has an integrated dual-band WiFi 802.11n radio with internal MIMO antenna, and can receive streaming HD content from a nearby DISH Network DVR.

The two companies are positioning the Sling Monitor 150 as ideal for temporary viewing situations – such as taking you TV into the garden during the Summer – or for places in the home where it’s unfeasible to run physical wires. As well as watching live TV you’ll be able to access recordings made on the DVR.

Since this is another operator-paired product – like the Touch Control 100 remote – don’t expect to be able to pick one up independently. Instead we’ll have to wait for DISH Network to announce a release date as well as a price.

Press Release:

Sling Media Introduces Sling Monitor 150 for Television Service Providers

DISH Network plans to be first to take sleek, flat-screen display that wirelessly extends HDTV experience anywhere in the home

Las Vegas, Nev., USA – Jan. 6, 2010 – Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today unveiled the Sling Monitor 150 and announced that DISH Network plans to be the first television service provider to add the device to its product lineup. The Sling Monitor 150 is a light-weight, portable flat screen display that wirelessly shifts your primary HD DVR video experience to any location in your home, eliminating the need to run cables or purchase a second DVR.

“Television providers now have a unique way to wirelessly extend their customers’ HDTV experience to places in their home where it’s not practical to run a cable such as in their kitchen, home office or workshop,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media.

The elegant Sling Monitor 150 is the only free-standing monitor that can accept a full HD broadcast stream over a WiFi network (802.11). In addition to receiving an HD video stream, the Sling Monitor 150 can control all the features of your primary HD DVR. You can watch live TV and view or manage your recordings.

“DISH Network looks forward to becoming the first multichannel video operator to offer our customers wireless multi-room HD services later this year as part of our TV Everywhere strategy,” said Ira Bahr, Chief Marketing Officer for DISH Network. “Sling Media has developed an innovative solution for providing whole home video delivery, giving customers a convenient way to enjoy their DISH Network programming wirelessly, anywhere in their home.”

How It Works
The Sling Monitor 150 is designed around a high-quality, 15.6 inch, 720p display that includes stereo audio speakers and incorporates a built-in folding stand for countertop or wall-mounted use. The product includes integrated dual-band (2.5 GHz/5 GHz) 802.11n networking, with an internal MIMO antenna and support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security.

The Sling Monitor 150 is one in a suite of products and services that EchoStar Technologies L.L.C and its affiliate Sling Media are making available to television service providers to help them attract new subscribers, retain current customers, and bring placeshifting to the largest audience possible.

Sling Media will be demonstrating this new technology in Booth 9021 at the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.